Chapter 286 (1/2)

”Mike, of course we'd like to work with Barry, but his new play is really lacking in selling points. And we can't possibly accept a budget of $25 million. ”

”I know what you're thinking. Sid and paramount are looking forward to getting one or two projects from Denise Entertainment's 10 movies, but do you think it's possible for him to cooperate with you because you stole rocket expert and Firebird from Simon westero by disgraceful means?”

”Mike, it's because we know our situation very well that we have this meeting today. I guess other studios are not willing to discuss this project with you anymore?”

“……”

Paramount Studios, Hollywood.

Paramount Pictures president Sidney Ganis and Michael owitz are discussing Barry Levinson's new play Avalon. Avalon is the ”land of bliss” in European mythology and legend. The story tells the struggle story of the crichinsky family, an Eastern European immigrant, who immigrated to the United States at the beginning of this century.

Although Dustin Hoffman got his second Oscar for the Rain Man project, which saved some face, in fact, Barry Levinson and other leading creators were in a mess.

Barry Levinson has been focusing on his new play Avalon in the first half of the year, hoping to make a clean break with this project. At the beginning of July, Levinson finally finished the script of Avalon. Several Hollywood studios also expressed their interest in Avalon, and the parties began to approach each other.

However, with Denise Entertainment's sudden announcement of 10 foreign film plans, things began to take a turn for the worse.

Disney, Columbia and Warner Brothers, which were originally interested in Avalon, have firmly refused, leaving paramount with nothing to say.

These days, Michael owitz more than once secretly regrets why he didn't stop Barry Levinson and others from trying to shirk their responsibility. Now, the whole CAA has been included in the blacklist of danielis entertainment.

After a moment's silence, Michael owitz said, ”SID, let's be frank and talk about Paramount's terms.”

”Barry's new play is supposed to hit the Oscars. It has little box office potential. Therefore, paramount can only give a budget of 12 million dollars at most, of which 2 million dollars is Barry's remuneration. Of course, we can add a 10% net profit sharing clause

Michael owitz was a little angry: ”West Germany, two million dollars, do you think that's possible?”

Barry Levinson became a first-line screenwriter and director soon after his debut in the 1970s. Even if he didn't count ”Rain Man” and ”Good Morning Vietnam” and other blockbuster films, he was able to become a first-line director with a pay of $5 million.

What's more, no one can deny Barry Levinson's contribution to rain man.

Now, after two successive Good Morning Vietnam and rain man, paramount is only willing to offer $2 million for a new film that Barry Levinson wrote and directed. It's an insult.

Sidney Ganis ignored Michael owitz's sarcastic question, raised his wrist, looked at his watch and said, ”I have a meeting soon. Mike, you can go back and think about it and call me after you decide.”

As he left paramount in a gloomy mood, Michael owitz pondered how to talk to his clients about it all the way.

Paramount is obviously taking advantage of the fire, but Barry Levinson doesn't have much choice.

Or.

For the time being, let Barry drop the project and start shooting a better looking commercial film.

The idea was soon dismissed by owitz.

Matthew Brodrick, who had an affair with Simon westero, has been completely abandoned. Now, although danelis entertainment has not made any public comments, there are not many film companies in Hollywood that dare to take the risk to continue to cooperate with Barry Levinson.

Even within CAA, many stars are deliberately avoiding Barry Levinson.

Back at the CAA headquarters in Century City, just after sitting down at his desk, Richard Lovett, an agent of the company, came to report that Kurt Russell and Gotty Han were going to leave the CAA.

Michael owitz frowned.

This is another more serious problem facing CAA.

When Jonathan Friedman became president of wma, he was ambitious to recapture the customers he had lost from wma. Kurt Russell and Gotty Han are first-line stars who were dug up by CAA when Stan Carmen, the former president of wma, died three years ago. This time, it is obvious that wma is fighting back.

Pick up the phone on the desk and make a few calls. Michael owitz quickly gets in touch with Kurt Russell. However, the invitation to make an appointment for dinner was directly rejected. Kurt Russell said that although he was very polite, he said that the couple's lawyers would be responsible for the follow-up matters.Obviously, there is no room for any change in this matter.

Moreover, the Russells are not the first stars to leave recently. Michael owitz knows very well that it's not just wma. Recently, other talent agencies in Hollywood are waving hoes at CAA.

Michael Ovitz once aspiring to dig up the essence of all the other talents of Hollywood agency, relying on CAA's unique packaging mechanism to win more and more rewards for stars, this thing was very smooth. However, in the last two years after Simon westrow appeared, Michael owitz found that everything was not going well. Many of the customers who once wanted to join CAA, such as Robert De Niro, Kevin Costner, Brian De Palma and so on, all failed.

Now, with Denise's entertainment momentum growing, CAA even began to be reversed.

CAA's packaging strategy is not outdated, but more popular. However, owitz also understands why this happens.

In the final analysis, it is still the problem of resource competition in Hollywood.

A few years ago, CAA successfully launched a large number of box office packaging projects such as ”my fair lady” and ”out of Africa”. It not only successfully attracted a large number of first-line stars to join, but also obtained resources from the studio for projects involving CAA.

However, the rise of danilisi entertainment quickly made CAA lose these advantages.

Because many non CAA customers who rely on a series of blockbuster films of danielis entertainment have attracted more attention from Hollywood studios. With the popularity of more blockbuster films, stars such as Robert De Niro, Kevin Costner and Sandra Bullock can also ask for better resources from the studios.

In contrast, the commercial performance of its stars is obviously not as good as that of danilisi entertainment films, and CAA has gradually become inferior in this aspect.

Now, once the CAA stars are excluded from the 10 film plans of danielis entertainment, the gap will undoubtedly be widened. After all, these 10 films will surely occupy the best quality schedule, the most generous publicity and the richest number of screens in the next two years.

At the same time, no one will doubt that there will be a group of stars' coffee seats will be greatly improved.

With the increase and decrease, some first-line stars of CAA are likely to be squeezed into the second line in one or two years.

Michael owitz can't help but think of Sony's recent acquisition of Colombia. As the agent of this acquisition, Sony has also shown his intention to be the head of Sony's entertainment business. Now, the merger is basically settled, but Sony doesn't mention it any more.

Talent agency company has no fixed assets, so it is doomed to be difficult to become big.

Seeing Simon westero, Michael Eisner, Barry Diller and others rise to fame and fortune in the production industry, owitz certainly has a similar idea.

As a result, it's Simon westero.

After weighing and pondering for a long time, Michael owitz picked up the phone again and skillfully dialed a number without consulting the address book.